Schumacher explains reason for '47' race number choice

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Mick Schumacher says his '47' race number in Formula 1 is mainly the result of putting together two race numbers that were his first choice, but which were already taken.

The '47' numeral associated with the Haas rookie's car appeared a strange choice to his fans when it was first announced as it didn't seem to bear any specific relation with the German driver.

On Friday, at the start of pre-season testing, Sky F1 commentator Martin Brundle alluded to Schumacher being randomly assigned what the former F1 driver labeled as "an ugly number".

"Mick Schumacher has had to take an ugly number," said Brundle on air. "All of the best numbers are taken. It doesn’t feel like a Formula 1 number."

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However, the young gun explained the '47' choice, revealing that it was anything but a random pick.

"The number 47, I’ve been thinking about it," Schumacher told Sky F1. "I wasn’t really sure what number I wanted. I wanted number 4, then I wanted number 7, but obviously they were taken.

"And then I was thinking, why not combine them? So at first I was like, okay, maybe 74, but then I was like maybe not, and then we kind of came up with 47, which is the same and has so many coincidences which were just too big to oversee.

"If you take all the birthdays of my family, that equals 47. If you think that 4 and 7 are both the numbers that I wanted, so it’s great to have them like this.

"Some fans actually said 4 and 7, as in ‘For Michael’, which is also very nice and great to have and great to be able to drive, and therefore we chose number 47."

Number '7' is closely associated with Michael Schumacher for obvious reasons as it represents the F1 legend's world title tally, an outstanding track record that Mick hopes to equal on day.

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.